Spring has sprung! Today is April 29, 2020 and it is 55 degrees Fahrenheit with no cloud in the sky as the sun shines down. The slight breeze in the air is rustling the trees and adding more music to the singing birds. Sitting outside it made me realize how much I love watching the birds in my backyard. I was able to see two turkeys, four robins, one crow, and one hawk far off in the distance circling the woods. However, my favorite part of the spring time is seeing all the bumble bees outside. Bumble bees are by far one of my favorite insects, hense why I got a tattoo of one, and I love the genus name of bombus. The bees were found in the double weeping cherry tree which in the last blog post I thought was a willow (Figure 1). I ended up asking my parents and found out I was wrong. This tree is my favorite and it finally blossomed. The buds on this tree are magenta with light-pink flowers (Figure 2).

As horrible as the recent virus outbreak has been it has allowed me to be outside more and see the beauty of nature everyday. During my time at the University of Vermont it was easy to see new wildlife with the amount of forested area, natural spaces, and mountain views. However, being home has allowed me to enjoy sitting in my own space and that I learn better studying in a natural area. Now that the seasons are changing and spring has come, I will be spending every chance I get outside and being productive. I am able to get up in no rush and take my dog for a walk every morning before coming home and doing work in my yard surrounded by nature. This has reduced my stress significantly as it relaxes me while I work. I can’t wait to go back to UVM and visit my phenology spot to see how much the spring weather has changed it.